Well, I thought it was all over but .... this evening I have received 3 more entries to our March competition. That makes 22 entries in all, the best start to any of our competitions ever!!

Thank you so much to Claudia Crook, Delores Topliff and Malcom Welshman, all newcomers to our travel writing contests, for getting involved.

Please read their bios below and follow the links to their stories.​

Claudia Crook is a storyteller in many forms. She holds a BA in Media Studies from Pomona College, and her professional credits range from theater and film performance to college admissions. She is a proud native of Nashville, TN and currently resides in New York City.

Delores Topliff - is a college teacher and writer who loves to travel and keeps her passport dusted off and ready for use. She is a native-born American who married a Canadian so also enjoys being a Canadian citizen. She divides her year between living in Minnesota with family and NE Mississippi where it's warmer and family likes to come visit. Contact her at delorestopliff.com or on Facebook.

Our third story today, and maybe the last entry in the March competition, is from another regular contributor, Robyn Boswell. You can read her latest fascinating travel story Panda Eyeshere.

Robyn Boswell

I live in the beautiful far north of New Zealand surrounded by beaches and forests. My family have lived here since the earliest days of settlement in New Zealand.​​

​My retirement has given me a new lease of life. My entire career was in education. In 1989 I discovered the International Future Problem Solving Program and was the first teacher to teach it in New Zealand. A couple of years later I became the New Zealand Director, a voluntary position I’ve held ever since and this has been my passion in life. Through the programme I have been able to slake my appetite for travel with 17 trips to the USA to attend the International Finals. I wanted to travel since I was six and my great aunt worked as a stewardess on cruise ships around the world and came home on rare occasions to share her adventures in slideshows that I found mesmerizing. I’ve been lucky enough to spend 13 months travelling in Europe and the UK, 3 months camping in the Australian Outback and various trips through the South Pacific and Asia. A last I have time to travel again and am enjoying having the time to rediscover my own beautiful country and our beautiful South Pacific as I have taken up cruising.

I have chronicled my trips through scrapbooking and journal writing so my memories are always with me.

For our second story today, it is a real pleasure to welcome back a regular contributor to our travel writing competitions, Amy Bovaird. I am sure you will enjoy her latest entry as it takes us to Corro Morro in Columbia, South America. You can read her story La Camioneta de Cervezahere.

​I’m Amy Bovaird – an adventurer, inspirational speaker and educator. In my blog posts, I share about how to overcome losses and find joy every day. Although I struggle with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a progressive hereditary vision condition that results in blindness, I focus on moving forward positively. I believe it’s important to lead an active and vibrant life so I run outside every day (except when Pennsylvania has 12 feet of snow) and I try various recipes in my cozy kitchen. Life can be rewarding, and I’m determined to make it happen.

Today is the last day in the March part of our 4th Annual Travel Stories Competition.At the moment there are three entries that I will be featuring during the day. The first is from another newcomer to our travel writing contests, Emma Yardley. You can read her moving story One Last Adventure ​here.

Emma Yardley is a freelance travel journalist who lives on a tiny island off the west coast of Canada. Having worked for the past 10 years as a lifestyle editor, writer and columnist in the country's busiest newsrooms, she turned her focus to travel in 2013 and hasn't looked back. Soft adventure, unusual experiences and anything to do with water — be it at the spa or on a sailboat — are her jam.

I have a real treat for you today, three wonderful travel stories, all from newcomers to our travel writing competitions. Read their bios below and then follow the links to enjoy their stories. Thank you so much Ria, Jesus and Ben for getting involved.​

Ria Chakraborty

I am a student from Delhi, India with a penchant for reading fiction and poetry books. I have been publishing my works online on various platforms. I received a prize from National Museum of Natural History, Delhi for a poem on conservation of flora and fauna. An essay written by me has been published in an online magazine, i-mantra. A Canadian magazine has also featured my poetry.

I am Jesus C. Deytiquez or Jessie for short. I grew up and lived almost all the days of my life in a rustic town in the Philippines. I, with my meager means, cannot travel that much and the only other country I ever visited is Hong Kong. But a man's soul searches for its expansion--a way of transcending oneself or ecstasy--like how a bird longs to fly or to sing its heart out. Therefore, since I cannot travel that much, I meet beauty and wonders through nature and literature. I already earned my Bachelor's degree in Political Science, and could have listened to my parents' suggestion for me to study for a law degree, but, because of my remembrance of my first love (literature and nature), I am now planning to pursue a Master's degree in Literature or Creative Writing. Currently, I am still looking for a scholarship to study abroad which is part of my plan or even need to become like my favorite authors who inspired me and provided for me worlds, companions in loneliness or solitude, and endless goodness (Novalis, George MacDonald, Jane Austen, Fyodor Dostoevsky, G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, etc.).

Read Jesus's story The Cold and Rainy Mountain City of Nostalgia here.

Ben Stamp was born and raised in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Insects with stingers cause him to make childish noises. When he is not travelling, he lives in Catalonia.

In our series of occasional guest blogs, it is fantastic to be able to introduce Barb Geiger, who is releasing her new book next week. Read about the background to Paddle for a Purpose in her very interesting post here.

With only a few days left in the March competition, it is a real honour to feature an entry from Brigid Gallagher titled I had a Dream. Read her fabulous story here.

Brigid P. Gallagher aspired to becoming a doctor but God had other plans!

In 1986, she embarked on a series of studies to become one of the first natural medicine practitioners in Scotland. She eventually became a tutor for a number of community projects, a women’s prison, and the Open Studies and Summer Schools of Stirling University from 1993 to 1999.

In 1999, she relocated to Donegal, Ireland – the home of her ancestors. Four years later she succumbed to a mystery illness which was eventually diagnosed as fibromyalgia.

Stopping the World forced Brigid to reassess her life, and creative writing became a significant part of her healing process.

She retrained in organic horticulture and taught this subject in schools until 2016.

“Watching the Daisies – Life Lessons on the Importance of Slow” was written to inspire others on their self healing journey.

A huge welcome to a fellow cat lover and a newcomer to our travel writing contests, Jules Clark. Thank you so much for sharing Magical Venice with us Jules. Enjoy it here.

​Jules Clark

I live in the UK, in rural Essex, with my husband, son and mischievous cat called Purrley, he rules the roost! I have always loved reading, often being caught by my mum reading under the duvet by torchlight late at night when I was little. I also love writing and have been writing stories for as long as I can remember. I had a story published about cats in 2017 called “The Surprise Visitors” in a book called Completely Cats - Stories with Cattitude. It was put together by Beth Haslam and Zoe Marr, which raises money for the charity, International Cat Care. I’m crazy about cats, earning the nickname, Crazy Cat Lady. When my son was little I used to make up bedtime stories for him about cats and this has turned into me writing short stories about them. I have a blog of stories: https://crazycatladyukblog.wordpress.com​

It is always a real pleasure to feature Nancy McBride. Each and every story of hers makes me stop and think, in a good way! I'm sure you will really appreciate her latest contribution "BEING SEEN" as much as I have. Read it here.

Nancy McBride

​Some may note Nancy seems slightly adrift on her travels abroad, and that may actually be a good description of her mindset, one that easily allows her adventures to unfold.

It is great to be able to feature another story from Susan Mellsopp, who was a regular contributor last year and won our May 2017 contest. Enjoy her latest entry Tent Pegs and Poleshere.

Susan Mellsopp is retired and lives with her golden retriever guide dog Jay in Hamilton New Zealand. She recently joined a writers group and is being challenged to write in genres other than travel and memoir. She has published two school histories and writes for the New Zealand Blind Foundation as well as an Australian travel website. She is a voracious reader, loves to travel, listen to classical music, cook, and enjoys learning to use modern technology.